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Elisha
2 Kings 7:21 - 2 King 13:21 |
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Introduction |
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The
Shumanite Woman
One day Elisha says to the woman whose son
he had restored to life to
leave with her family because the LORD has
decreed a seven-year famine which is coming
upon the land. So the woman
leaves with the family as the man of God
said. They settle in the land of the
Philistines for seven years.
At the end of the seven years, the woman
returns from the land of the Philistines and
goes out to the king to claim her house and
her field. At that same time the king is
talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of
God to know all the great things that Elisha
had done.
Just as he is relating to the king how his
master had restored a dead person to life,
the very woman whose son Elisha had restored
to life comes to the king to |
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claim her
house and field. Gehazi then says to the
king that she is that woman, and this is
that son of hers whom Elisha restored to
life. |
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The king
questions the woman, and she tells him her
story. With that the king places an official
at her disposal, to restore all her property
to her, with all that the field produced
from the day she left the land until now.
Elisha’s Prophesy Regarding Hazael
Elisha comes to Damascus at a time when Ben-hadad,
king of Aram, is sick. When Ben-hadad learns
that the man of God arrived, the king
tells Hazael to take a gift with him and
go call on the man of God. He tells his servant to
ask the man of God to consult the LORD as to
whether he shall recover from this sickness. |
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So Hazael goes to visit him, bringing
presents, and stands before the prophet to
deliver the inquiry of the king. Elisha
tells the servant to tell that king that he
will surely recover but the LORD has shown
Elisha that he will in fact die.
Then he stares him down until Hazael becomes
ill at ease. Then Elisha begins to weep. He
tells Hazael that he knows the evil that he
will inflict upon the Israelites. He
continues that Hazael will burn their
fortresses, slay their youth with the sword,
dash their little children to pieces and rip
open their pregnant women. |
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Hazael leaves
Elisha and returns to his master, and
tells the king that Elisha said that he
will surely recover.
The next day, however, Hazael takes a cloth,
dips it in water, and spreads it over the
king's face, so that he dies. And Hazael
becomes king of Aram as Elisha
prophesied.
Meanwhile, Jehoram, son of Jehoshaphat,
becomes king of Judah, and reigns for eight
years. He conducts himself |
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like the kings of
Israel of the line of Ahab, and does evil in
the LORD'S sight. |
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Even so, the LORD does not destroy
Judah, because of David, to whom
the LORD had promised David that He would
leave him a lamp in the LORD'S presence for
all time.
Elisha
Anoints Jehu
During Jehoram's reign, Edom revolts against
the sovereignty of Judah and chooses a king
of its own.
Thereupon Jehoram with all his chariots
crosses over to Zair, and arising by night
he breaks through the Edomites. He finds
himself and his commanders of his chariots
surrounded by Edomites then his army flees
homeward.
Jehoram joins Joram, son of Ahab, in battle
against Hazael, king of Aram, at
Ramoth-gilead. There the Arameans wound
Joram. Joram returns to Jezreel to heal his
wounds. Then Ahaziah, king of Judah, goes
down to Jezreel to visit him.
At this time the prophet Elisha calls on one
of the guild prophets and tells him to take
a flask of oil and go to Ramoth-gilead.
There Elisha tells him to seek out Jehu, son
of Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi. Then he tells
the prophet to take Jehu away from his
companions into an inner chamber.
While at the inner chamber Elisha tells him
to pour oil from his flask on Jehu’s head
and anoint him king over Israel in the name
of the LORD, after which he must leave
immediately.
The young
guild prophet goes to Ramoth-gilead and does
as Elisha ordered. He takes Jehu aside to
the inner chamber and anoints him the name
of the LORD. Then he tells Jehu that the
LORD has said that he shall destroy the
house of Ahab his master; thus avenging the
blood of the LORD’S prophets, and the blood
of all the other servants of the LORD shed
by Jezebel, and by all the rest of the
family of Ahab.
He tells Jehu that the LORD has said that He
will cut off every male in Ahab's line,
whether slave or freeman in Israel and He
will deal with the house of Ahab as He dealt
with the house of Jeroboam, son of Nebat,
and with the house of Baasha, son of Ahijah.
Then the prophet opens the doors from the
inner room and flees, as Elisha ordered.
When Jehu rejoins his master's servants,
they ask him why the madman came to him.
Jehu tells them that the prophet, in the
name of the LORD has anointed him king over
Israel.
Thereupon, each one takes his garment,
spreads it under Jehu on the bare steps.
Then they blow the trumpet, and cry out that
Jehu is king! |
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The
Death of Jezebel: Fulfilling the
Prophecy of Elijah |
When
Jezebel learns that Jehu has arrived in
Jezreel, she shadows her eyes, adorns
her hair, and looks down from her
window. As Jehu comes through the gate,
she cries out accusation to Jehu of
murdering his master.
Jehu looks up to the window and later
orders the two or three eunuchs with
Jezebel to throw her down. She dies and Jehu rides in over her body. After
eating and drinking, he tells his
servants to attend to that accursed
woman and bury her, because after all,
she was a king's daughter.
But when
they go to bury her, they find |
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nothing of her
but the skull, the feet, and the hands. They
report this to Jehu who tells them that this
is the sentence which the LORD pronounced
through his servant Elijah the Tishbite that
in the confines of Jezreel dogs shall eat
the flesh of Jezebel.
Jehu then
proceeds to kill the descendants of Ahab, as
well as all his powerful supporters,
intimates, and priests, leaving him no
survivor, doing away with them completely
and thus fulfilling the prophecy which the
LORD had spoken through Elijah. |
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Death of the Prophets of Baal
On a ruse Jehu gathers all the
worshipers and priests of Baal
saying that there will be a great
sacrifice for Baal. Jehu tells them
that whoever is absent shall not
live. On Jehu’s order they proclaim
a solemn assembly in honor of Baal.
Jehu sends word of this throughout
the land of Israel. All the
worshipers of Baal without exception
come into the temple of Baal, which
is filled to capacity.
Then Jehu orders the custodian of
the wardrobe to bring out the
garments for all the worshipers of
Baal. When this is done Jehu, with
Jehonadab, enters the temple of Baal
and says to the worshipers of Baal
to search the temple to make sure
that there is no worshiper of the
LORD here with them. |
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Then they proceed to offer sacrifices
and holocausts. Now Jehu had previously stationed
eighty men outside with a warning that
if one of them lets anyone escape he
shall pay with his life.
As soon as he finishes offering the
holocaust, Jehu orders the guards and
officers to go in and slay them. So the
guards and officers put them to the
sword and cast them out. Afterward they
go into the inner shrine of the temple
of Baal. They take out the stele of
Baal, and burn the shrine. Then they
smash the stele of Baal, tear down the
building, and turn it into a latrine.
Thus Jehu roots out the worship of Baal
from Israel. |
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The Death of Elisha
When Elisha falls ill King Joash of
Israel goes down to visit him and he
grieves and weeps over Elisha.
Elisha tells him to take a bow and
some arrows and tells him to shoot
through an open window facing east.
With Elisha’s hand over his hand,
Joash shoots an arrow towards the
east. Then the prophet exclaims that
that is arrow of victory! Elisha
tells Joash that he will completely
conquer Aram at Aphec.
Then he tells the king of Israel to
take the arrows and to strike the
ground! Joash does as she is told
and strikes the ground three times
and stops. Elisha becomes angry that
Joash stopped and tells him that now
Joash will defeat Aram only three
times, and not completely. |
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Then Elisha dies and is buried.
One Last Miracle
Once some people are burying a man, when
suddenly they see a raiding band of
Moabites. So they cast the dead man into
the grave of Elisha, and everyone leave
in a hurry. But when the man comes in
contact with the bones of Elisha, he
comes back to life and rises to his
feet!
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For further
reading on the heroes of the Old Testament: |
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The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as it walks you through a pivotal period in
Israel’s history, and illustrative maps will
give you a better picture of the physical
geography of this ancient land. |
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The First Book of Kings (Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the Old Testament) This
volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings
follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New
Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided by the New English
Bible itself, but these are further subdivided for the purposes of the
commentary, which is printed in short sections following the relevant portion of
the text. |
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Canon Robinson suggests that the editors of I
Kings compiled their history in order to teach
the Hebrews that their existence as Israel, the
covenant people of God, depended upon their
continuing loyalty to their own religious
traditions, and their refusal to exchange them
for the very different traditions of the
Canaanites among whom they lived.
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I & II Samuel: A Commentary (Old Testament
Library)
First sentence in
the book:
""THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL contain that
part of the history of Israel which describes
the foundation of the State, running from the
close of the period of the Judges to the
establishment of the united kingdom." |
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The Sunday Readings |
September 16,
2007:
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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First Reading From the
Book of Exodus : |
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Ex 32:7-11, 13-14 |
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The LORD said to
Moses,
“Go down at once to your people, whom you brought
out of the land of Egypt, for they have become
depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way
I pointed out to them,
making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping
it, sacrificing to it and crying out,
‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out
of the land of Egypt!’
“I see how stiff-necked this people is, ”
continued the LORD to Moses.
Let me alone, then,
that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume
them. Then I will make of you a great nation.”
But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying,
“Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against
your own people, whom you brought out of the land
of Egypt with such great power and with so strong
a hand?
Remember your
servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you
swore to them by your own self, saying,
‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the
stars in the sky; and all this land that I
promised, I will give your descendants as their
perpetual heritage.’”
So the LORD
relented in the punishment he had threatened to
inflict on his people. |
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Responsorial From the Book of Psalms:
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Ps 51:3-4, 12-13,
17, 19 |
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R. I will
rise and go to my father.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out
my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will rise and go to my father.
O Lord, open
my lips,
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you
will not spurn.
R. I will rise and go to my father.
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Second Reading from
the Letter to Timothy |
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1 Tm 1:12-17 |
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Beloved:
I am grateful to him who has strengthened me,
Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me
trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry.
I was once a
blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I
have been mercifully treated because I acted out
of ignorance in my unbelief.
Indeed, the grace
of our Lord has been abundant, along with the
faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
This saying is
trustworthy and deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
Of these I am the
foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully
treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ
Jesus might display all his patience as an example
for those who would come to believe in him for
everlasting life.
To the king of
ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God,
honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. |
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Reading From
the Gospel of Luke:
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Lk 15:1-32 or
15:1-10 |
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Tax collectors and
sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain,
saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he
addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and
losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine
in the desert and go after the lost one until he
finds it?
And when he does
find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great
joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together
his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost
sheep.’
I tell you, in
just the same way there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine
righteous people who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does
find it, she calls together her friends and
neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin
that I lost.’
In just the same way, I tell you, there will be
rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner
who repents.”
Then he said,
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to
his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that
should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days,
the younger son collected all his belongings and
set off to a distant country where he squandered
his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had
freely spent everything, a severe famine struck
that country, and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local
citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the
swine.
And he longed to
eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his
senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more
than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from
hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I
shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against
you. I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired
workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was
still a long way off, his father caught sight of
him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his
son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to
him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against
you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father
ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let
us celebrate with a feast, because this son of
mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was
lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son
had been out in the field and, on his way back, as
he neared the house, he heard the sound of music
and dancing. He called one of the servants and
asked what this might mean.
The servant said
to him,
‘Your brother has returned and your father has
slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him
back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house, his father
came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his
father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you and not once
did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me
even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But
when your son returns, who swallowed up your
property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter
the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I
have is yours. But now we must celebrate and
rejoice, because your brother was dead and has
come to life again; he was lost and has been
found.’” |
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Or |
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Tax collectors and
sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain,
saying,
“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So to them he
addressed this parable.
“What man among you having a hundred sheep and
losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine
in the desert and go after the lost one until he
finds it?
And when he does
find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great
joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together
his friends and neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost
sheep.’
I tell you, in
just the same way there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine
righteous people who have no need of repentance.
“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house,
searching carefully until she finds it?
And when she does
find it, she calls together her friends and
neighbors and says to them,
‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin
that I lost.’
In just the same
way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the
angels of God over one sinner who repents.” |
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References |
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The Chariot of Israel: Exploits of the Prophet of Elijah
THE CHARIOT OF ISRAEL: When Elijah was caught up
to heaven, his disciple Elisha cried out, "the
chariot of Israel, and its horsemen." Elisha was
referring not to the chariot but to the prophet.
This study of Elijah’s life will captivate you
as it walks you through a pivotal period in
Israel’s history, and illustrative maps will
give you a better picture of the physical
geography of this ancient land. |
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Read more about the Liturgical Year |
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The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo
Books)
by
Thomas J. Talley (Author) The Rev. Dr.
Thomas J. Talley, Professor of Liturgics
at the General Theological Seminary in New
York, is one of the leading liturgists in
the country. He gives us a fresh
examination of the complex history of the
Liturgical Year. |
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The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle C. (Bestseller! the Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday)
by
John J. Pilch (Author)
Reader
Review: The book by Pilch provides
those who not only fill the pulpits across
this country but also all interested in
the cultural world in which Jesus lived
with a lot of pertinent information that
sheds light on a lot of areas that have
been "muddled" in the past. Yes, I highly
recommend this book. - James Mauldin |
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Learn more and read the Old Testament. |
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Preaching from the Old Testament
by Elizabeth Achtemeier (Author) Reader
Review: The author of these
thirty-two short chapters begins and ends
with the assumption that problems we
experience with the Old Testament are our
problem, not the Bible's. This
subordinating of the Bible reader to the
well-weathered book he holds in his hand
opens doors, not to forced harmonisations
of problematic passages, but to fresh
reappraisal of difficult texts on their
own terms. -
David A. Baer |
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The Navarre Bible: Pentateuch (The Navarre Bible: Old Testament)
This volume helps you make the first five
books of the Old Testament a vital part of
your spiritual reading and practical
growth in the Christian life. It contains
the full English and Latin texts of these
books, along with extensive and faithfully
Catholic commentaries. Like other volumes
in the world-renowned Navarre Bible
series, these commentaries draw on Church
documents, the exegesis of Fathers and
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Doctors of the Church, and the works of contemporary
spiritual writers — particularly St. Josemaría
Escrivá, who initiated the Navarre Bible
project. |
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Rich Chocolate
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Pictures!
with More than a Thousand Words |
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Not Fair! |
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Church Sign: A Warning! |
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Negotiating
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